inveterate

/ɪnˈvetərət/ (bre, ipa) · /ɪnˈvetərət/ (ame, ipa) · /in-ˈve-t(ə-)rət/ (ame, mw)

inveterate — adjective

  • inveteratepositive
  • more inveteratecomparative
  • most inveteratesuperlative

1. describing a person whose habit, often a bad one, has continued for so long that

1.形容詞C2
釋義

describing a person whose habit, often a bad one, has continued for so long that they almost certainly will not give it up.

例句

Élise is an inveterate gambler who visits the casino in Macau every weekend.

inveterate + noun naming a habitual person

Uncle Felix, an inveterate smoker, lit another cigarette right after dinner.

appositive use: noun, an inveterate X

同義詞
  • habitual

    more neutral and far more common; 'inveterate' is formal and usually slightly disapproving

  • confirmed

    as in 'a confirmed bachelor' — implies settled identity rather than just a long habit

  • chronic

    often medical or negative ('chronic complainer'); 'inveterate' sounds more bookish

  • hardened

    stresses emotional toughening, often with criminals or cynics; 'inveterate' stresses duration

反義詞
  • occasional

    habit happens only now and then, not constantly

  • reformed

    person has actively given the habit up — the opposite outcome of being inveterate

文法句型

inveterate + noun (person or activity-doer)

用法筆記

Almost always used before the noun (attributive); rarely 'is inveterate' on its own. Subject is a person; the noun names the habit or the role doing the habit (gambler, smoker, reader, liar).

常見錯誤

❌My grandfather is inveterate.
✅My grandfather is an inveterate smoker.
💡needs a noun naming the habit; cannot stand alone after 'be'.
❌She is an inveterate happy person.
✅She is an inveterate optimist.
💡pairs with a noun describing a long-running habit or role, not a general adjective.

2. describing a feeling, attitude, or situation that has existed for a very long ti

2.形容詞C2
釋義

describing a feeling, attitude, or situation that has existed for a very long time and is now almost impossible to change, such as a deep hatred between two families.

例句

The two villages share an inveterate hatred that began with a land dispute over a hundred years ago.

inveterate + abstract noun (hatred) — feelings rooted in history

Nila finally left the company because of her boss's inveterate prejudice against working mothers.

inveterate prejudice — fixed negative attitude

同義詞
  • deep-rooted

    more common and concrete; can be used after 'be' ('the problem is deep-rooted')

  • ingrained

    often used for habits or beliefs absorbed unconsciously over time

  • entrenched

    stresses resistance to removal, often about systems or attitudes in a group

反義詞
  • fleeting

    feeling lasts only a short time, opposite of long-established

  • recent

    feeling or attitude has only just started

文法句型

inveterate + abstract noun (hatred, prejudice, dislike, etc.)

用法筆記

Subject is normally a feeling or attitude (hatred, prejudice, dislike, distrust, resistance) rather than a person. Distinguish from sense 1: sense 1 is 'an inveterate X-er' (a person's habit); sense 2 is 'inveterate X' where X is the feeling itself.

常見錯誤

❌The bridge has an inveterate construction.
✅The bridge has a long-established design.
💡'inveterate' is used for feelings and attitudes, not for physical objects or designs.